Cooperation is the key to successful development and implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies

Directorate-General Fire Safety and Civil Protection of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior hosted a Workshop on Best Use of Disaster Risk Reduction Strategies. The attendants agreed on the need for promoting coherence between disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and sustainable development policies.

The role of the science in support of development of the strategies and risk assessment has been highlighted. Cooperation between different institutions and the private sector has also been stressed as a precondition for successful development of strategies.

Participants agreed that climate change is one of the reasons for increase of the extreme meteorological events, which affect critical infrastructure systems in Europe, and requires permanent investments for disaster risk reduction.

Representatives from 31 participating states to the Union Civil Protection Mechanism took part in the Workshop. During the event representatives from Croatia, Finland and the Netherlands shared national experience in the risk assessment and development of strategies for disaster risk reduction. Presentations were given by the European Commission, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the World Bank Group, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The event under the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU was held on 30th and 31st of January in Sofia. It has been co-financed by the European Commission.